Nintendo’s famous plumber brothers are back with a new RPG episode. Mario & Luigi: The Brotherhood Epic is coming to Switch this Friday, November 7, and here is our opinion on this title.
It’s been nine years since Nintendo released a new installment in the series Mario & Luigi. Since the release of Mario & Luigi : Paper Jam Bros in 2015, fans were only treated to remakes, of quality certainly, but insufficient to meet expectations (including that of your editor). This new episode promises to revive interest in the license and attract a whole new generation.
Back to the roots of a cult license
After the creation of Super Mario RPG In 1996, developed in collaboration with Square Enix, Nintendo split its RPG adventures into two distinct series: Paper Mario for home consoles and Mario & Luigi for portable consoles. This is how the first opus, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Sagawas released on Gameboy Advance in 2003. Purists will point out that a Paper Mario was released on 3DS, but as they say, it’s the exception that proves the rule.
Brothers to the Rescue of a Disconnected Kingdom
While enjoying a peaceful day, Mario and Luigi are sucked into a mysterious vortex and find themselves in the kingdom of Connexia. Once linked together by the power of the great Unicea, the regions of Connexia are now isolated islands whose inhabitants are cut off from the rest of the world. On board the Navitisme, a hybrid ship, you will have to navigate between these islands and try to reconnect them.
Exploration at the heart of gameplay
Discovering new places is relatively simple : you have to sail on currents to reveal the map and reveal the hidden islands. To explore an island, simply catapult yourself with a cannon; be careful however, because as long as the island is not reconnected, it is impossible to return to the ship. It is therefore better to prepare well before each excursion. In addition to the main islands, you will find additional islands, populated with enemies or puzzles, which unlock key characters or objects for the rest of the story. Residents of reconnected islands will also be able to travel, opening the possibility of new quests and items on previously visited islands.
The return of the Mario-style RPG
Mario & Luigi is known for its accessible RPG and unique combat style. Each brother is associated with a key (Mario to A and Luigi to B) for specific actions. The facilities are limited but interesting enough, and the statistics remain simple to understand.
In combat, you have to press at the right time to maximize damage, whether attacking or dodging. The basic actions, “Jump” and “Hammer”, deal damage tailored to enemy types, while “Brother Attacks” deal greater damage to multiple enemies in exchange for specific points and choreographed sequences.
The notable new feature is the introduction of “Combat Holds”, which add passive bonuses in combat: attack three times instead of two, ignite attacks, create shock waves when jumping, or automate the use of objects when life is low. These sockets, however, are limited to a certain number of turns before recharging.
On the exploration side, you must use special abilities unlocked during the adventure to solve the puzzles. For example, Mario and Luigi can hold hands and spin like a propeller to cross chasms. Two elements, however, disappointed me a little: the special abilities are no longer usable in combat, which takes away a little depth, and now only Mario is controllable, Luigi automatically follows him, which limits some exploration options.
Excellent lifespan
We haven’t completed the game 100%, but we estimate that with the main quest, side quests, exploration and numerous fights, the game offers approximately 40 hours of content. Some might find it a little too easy though; in fact, we rarely had a “game over” during our game.
Ready to head to Connexia?
Mario & Luigi: The Brotherly Epic East an excellent game to discover the world of RPGs as well as the universe of this cult license. The gameplay is still pleasant, the exploration entertaining, and the humor dear to Mario RPGs is very present. You will also find many references to previous opuses and to the Mario universe as a whole, because no, the brothers are not the only ones from the Mushroom Kingdom to have landed in Connexia.
However, the lack of option to adjust the difficulty is felt. A New Game+ mode or options to make the fights tougher would have been appreciated. Other than that, we highly recommend this title!
Overall rating: 8/10
The +:
– Still enjoyable gameplay
– Rhythmic battles where attention is required
– Ubiquitous humor
– References to other games
– The richness of the environments of each island
THE – :
– The fact that Luigi is no longer controllable, which sometimes makes him a secondary character
– The ease of adventure
– The disappearance of brother attacks based on powers
